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Home Health A to Z
Hair loss
Losing your hair is not usually anything to be worried about, but it can be upsetting. Treatment may help with some types of hair loss.
Causes of hair loss
It's normal to lose hair. We can lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day, often without noticing.
Hair loss is not usually anything to be worried about, but occasionally it can be a sign of a medical condition.
Some types of hair loss are permanent, like male and female pattern baldness. This type of hair loss usually runs in the family.
Other types of hair loss may be temporary. They can be caused by:
an illness
stress
cancer treatment
weight loss
iron deficiency
Find out more about cancer and hair loss
Non-urgent advice:
See a GP if:
you have sudden hair loss
you develop bald patches
you're losing hair in clumps
your head also itches and burns
you're worried about your hair loss
Information:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: how to contact a GP
It's still important to get help from a GP if you need it. To contact your GP surgery:
visit their website
use the NHS App
call them
Find out about using the NHS during COVID-19
What happens at your appointment
The GP should be able to tell you what's causing your hair loss by looking at your hair.
Tell them if your hair loss is affecting your wellbeing, and ask what treatments are available.
Important
See a GP to get a clear idea about what's causing your hair loss before thinking about going to a commercial hair clinic.
Treatment for hair loss
Most hair loss does not need treatment and is either:
temporary and it'll grow back
a normal part of getting older
Hair loss caused by a medical condition usually stops or grows back once you've recovered.
There are things you can try if your hair loss is causing you distress. But most treatments are not available on the NHS, so you'll have to pay for them.
No treatment is 100% effective.
Finasteride and minoxidil
Finasteride and minoxidil are the main treatments for male pattern baldness.
Minoxidil can also be used to treat female pattern baldness. Women should not use finasteride.
These treatments:
do not work for everyone
only work for as long as they're used
are not available on the NHS
can be expensive
Wigs
Some wigs are available on the NHS, but you may have to pay unless you qualify for financial help.
Synthetic wigs:
last 6 to 9 months
are easier to look after than real-hair wigs
can be itchy and hot
cost less than real-hair wigs
Real-hair wigs:
last 3 to 4 years
are harder to look after than synthetic wigs
look more natural than synthetic wigs
cost more than synthetic wigs
Find out more about NHS wigs and costs
Other hair loss treatments
Other treatments for hair loss
Treatment Description
Steroid injection Injections given into bald patches
Steroid creams Cream applied to bald patches
Immunotherapy Chemical applied to bald patches
Light treatment Shining ultraviolet light on bald patches
Tattooing Tattoo used to look like short hair and eyebrows
Hair transplant Hair is removed from the back of the head and moved to thinning patches
Scalp reduction surgery Sections of scalp with hair are stretched and stitched together
Artificial hair transplant Surgery to implant artificial hairs
Some of these treatments may not be available on the NHS.
Emotional help
Losing hair can be upsetting. For many people, their hair is an important part of who they are.
If your hair loss is causing you distress, your GP may be able to help you get some counselling.
You may also benefit from joining a support group, or speaking to other people in the same situation on online forums.
Find a support group near you on the Alopecia UK website
Further information and support
Cancer Research UK: hair loss
Macmillan: hair loss
Page last reviewed: 04 February 2021
Next review due: 04 February 2024
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